2011 Fixture

[DJ75]

In terms of the draw itself I don't have too many concerns. The main issues you need to look for are:

Teams you double up against
Rest periods between games, particularly when travelling
The timing of Byes can have a great influence
Which teams you play away (not all are even).

In looking at our draw,

We play Port (obviously), Geelong, St. Kilda, Gold Coast, Brisbane and West Coast twice. Of that lot Geelong and St. Kilda will be tough, Port beat us twice last year, whilst GC, Bris and WC should be ok. All in all pretty fair.

In terms of rest periods, we do very well. Almost all games are a week apart and the ones that aren't we generally play at Home. Only once does that not occur (playing WB away). All in all pretty fair again.

The timing of the Byes is crap. No-one wants a bye after 1 game. The byes will be a good chance to rest players up get injured players back. Ideal timing would be around round 7 and 18. You know, like what Collingwood were given.

In considering the away games, the ones to avoid are Freo, Geelong and St. Kilda. Of those we play Geelong at Skilled and St. Kilda at Etihad. Both however are teams we play twice so it is fair we play them away. We also play Coll away (much better chance at home) but ok with that.
Carlton, Nth Melb & Melb I would rate us an 80 % chance of defeatinf at FP, but only 50% away. Still a 50-50 away game is a pretty good outcome.
WC away in round 24 is not ideal, but playing WC away is fine.
All in all another pretty fair draw.

In summary I'd say it is a good draw for us in terms of chances of making the finals. The Byes could have been better placed but I'm basically pretty happy.

Of course it is relative. Compare it to Collingwood and we are getting shafted!

 

[dbcrow]

so collingwood can claim it as their away game!
Seriously WTF is the AFL's problem. Why must they do everything in their power to help Collingwood as much as possible? What does Eddie have on these guys?

I don't understand this thinking. We play Etihad really well, and I'd much rather play Collingwood there than at the MCG.

Plus I might go over for it, and I want to be under a roof

 

[fryingpan]

Not really fussed about the bye situation myself. Gets the first one out of the way quickly and then we're basically back to normal fixturing and have our break just over halfway through.

 

[aneale]

Friday - 3
Sat Arvo - 4
Sat Night - 5
Sund Arvo - 7
Sund Death - 2
TBC 1

Most of the Sunday games are away, all but 2 I think, so no poor crowd excuses.

Sunday Arvo aren't the issue for crowds. Once again those flogs gives us Saturday arvo games despite the Club asking for none. Those are the games that hurt us.

 

[cmndstab]

Don't like the round 2 bye either but that's from a supporter's point of view rather than me thinking about what's good for the team


Lots of AAMI Stadium matches to start up this year. Again, we've got a good change to get off to a good start. We need to actually take that chance this time around.


The only real issue with that fixture is the lack of MCG games.

 

[WALL-e]

Vader, I never tire of your stubborness on naming.

 

[PCORF]

Our round 1 game is great. Finally a Saturday Night game. Hawthorn will be a very good side next year so a big challenge for us.

No home game vs Collingwood again is a big plus. This game will 9 out of 10 times be a certian loss.

8 games on FTA TV is very good. The other 14 we have to put up with Rwayne Russell.

 

[aneale]

Don't like the round 2 bye either but that's from a supporter's point of view rather than me thinking about what's good for the team


Lots of AAMI Stadium matches to start up this year. Again, we've got a good change to get off to a good start. We need to actually take that chance this time around.


The only real issue with that fixture is the lack of MCG games.

better than a round 1 bye, even still we should trade that to GC for theirs. What a load of BS, the AFL have no sense of theatre whatsoever. It sucks waiting til 4.10pm Sunday to play Round 1, let alone round 2 for a brand new team. Morons.

 

[Elite Crow]

Why are we playing Collingwood away again and not at home? Would help boost our crowds and revenue.

 

[DJ75]

I don't understand this thinking. We play Etihad really well, and I'd much rather play Collingwood there than at the MCG.

Plus I might go over for it, and I want to be under a roof

Sorry my reasoning isn't clear. The second comment has no relevance to the first.

Take the 2nd comment on its own and check Collingwoods draw. Ask yourself then the same question I have asked.

 

[Smoooothy]

think the timing of our 2nd bye is fantastic, should freshen the boys up for the run into the finals

 

[brucetiki]

I think it's a great draw. We have the unique situation where we don't travel at all until round 5. Ok, the round 2 bye is a bit stop start, but it's not the end of the world, and it's surrounded by home games. Also, playing either at AAMI or in Melbourne (and predominantly Etihad at that) in the first 19 weeks makes for setting up a real good routine.

Having said that, I'm in Melbourne for a week in mid-April and was hoping to go to a Crows game in Melbourne at the same time. However, the weekend before and after we're at home so that's a bit of a grrrr from a purely selfish point of view. On the flip side, playing Gold Coast at Carrara on the weekend of my birthday makes a trip up there very tempting.

West Coast @ Pattersons in round 24 isn't ideal, but at least it's a floating round so if we're going to play finals at least we'll almost certain get a suitable timeslot.

All up, I'm happy.

 

[Mismatched]

Sunday Arvo aren't the issue for crowds. Once again those flogs gives us Saturday arvo games despite the Club asking for none. Those are the games that hurt us.

Agree, Saturday arvo's are the big worry as they conflict with Amateur league football and IIRC we have many thousands of people playing and involved with such games, especially in the Country, many of whom make up our membership base. The one good thing about our Saturday game is that they are 3.10 matches, which means it only clashes with A-grade match, as opposed to both A's and B's.

think the timing of our 2nd bye is fantastic, should freshen the boys up for the run into the finals

2nd bye is great, not sure about the first one though.

 

[thebirdman 24]

Did i miss out on something what is Paterson's? Is that Subiaco's new name?

Anyway, looks like a good start with plenty of blockbuster saturday and friday night matches which are always good. Might have to get to a few away games by the looks of things, in particular against Collingwood at Jihad stadium.

 

[brucetiki]

Agree, Saturday arvo's are the big worry as they conflict with Amateur league football and IIRC we have many thousands of people playing and involved with such games, especially in the Country, many of whom make up our membership base. The one good thing about our Saturday game is that they are 3.10 matches, which means it only clashes with A-grade match, as opposed to both A's and B's.

I think you'll find that 3.10 is EST, so it'll be 2.40 Adelaide time

 

[Punchy Bassett]

think the timing of our 2nd bye is fantastic, should freshen the boys up for the run into the finals

Will need it with all the travel towards the end.

Glad the thread title said fixture and not draw

 

[Sir Vlado]

Not a bad draw at all. I like this.

 

[crows dude]

WTF

17 June we play at Edihad. And then on the Sunday Port play in Perth. So no games in Adelaide that weekend

 

[Dirty Bird]

WTF

17 June we play at Edihad. And then on the Sunday Port play in Perth. So no games in Adelaide that weekend

each team has 11 home games meaning 22 games
but we have 24 rounds

I think you'll find there are at least 2 rounds with no games in Adelaide
and the same for Perth

 

[Punchy Bassett]

WTF

17 June we play at Edihad. And then on the Sunday Port play in Perth. So no games in Adelaide that weekend

Go and watch some SANFL then.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Reasonably good draw except for Rnd 2 bye, 1 MCG game and playing Pork after they come off of a bye.

Geelong, Fremantle and Sydney play teams coming off the bye four times, while Collingwood, Hawthorn, Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs have none.

 

[lunacy]

Only one game in Perth

Is Round 22 though.

Also the Round 2 bye is going to suck!

Am relatively happy with that draw.

Maybe but maybe not.

Last year a round 2 bye would have been just what the doctor ordered. After a gruelling summer, NAB cup and a big opening round, it might be nice to have a week to freshen up. No doubt there will be a few casualties and sore bodies from preseason so that week off might be enough to rest the bodies.

 

[brucetiki]

each team has 11 home games meaning 22 games
but we have 24 rounds

I think you'll find there are at least 2 rounds with no games in Adelaide
and the same for Perth

Yep round 18 is the other weekend of no football at AAMI (Port have the bye, we're at Etihad).

For the record, no football at Patterson's in rounds 7 and 17 (both times involve both West Coast and Freo playing away). Also, no AFL matches in Queensland in rounds 3 and 6 (both Brisbane and GC away), but two matches in Queensland in round 17 (Cairns and the Gabba).

 

[Big Sledge #32]

I'm reasonably happy with that draw, issues with the bye in round 2 and West Coast at subi shouldn't be as taxing as years gone by.

Did anyone notice that Coliingwood, Carlton & GC all get given byes the week before they play Geelong? All successively as well, I would be fuming if I was a cats fan!

 

[FR0GGY]

I dont like byes, besides the fact that the ladder will not be a true indication until all teams have played the same amount of games!